I know marginal is what you meant.

Not everyone has cash to carry around. What an elitist strategy. Some people need to spend other people’s money.

The day when all these people find out that income (the thing that addresses homelessness, puts food on tables, and pays for medical treatment) and wealth (the thing that makes Gates and Bezos and Buffet billionaires) are not interchangeable.

“After all, that’s what happened in the 1960's and 1970's when the top-end tax rate for people earning $5 million or more annually was 90%, right?”

There are certainly people that simply do not know any better. Those people might be reached with education. I believe there are far more people that are actively making these decisions with full awareness that they may be hurt by them later.

“Have you seen the statistic that 57% of Americans would not have enough cash on hand to cover an unexpected $500 expense?”

Sure. He absolutely could. What kind of house do you think that would buy? One that’s in a desirable part of town? One that’s near where he works? One that doesn’t need substantial additional “investment”?

“Why, if you make almost twice the U.S. median household income? Why. Why!!!”

Tyler couldn’t afford to buy a home with no student debt. The recommended maximum you should spend on a home is supposedly around 2.5x your annual income.

Employers and the government provide massive financial incentives to save. People turn those incentives down every day because they have different priorities.

Obviously you’re stealing from the people because theft is the only way to retire in 2019. What’s all that living below your means nonsense about?

“That means first paying off your debts”

The point was that it’s about income and what people do with said income. Redistributing wealth without first reforming the rampant, financially ignorant, consumerism that led to that distribution in the first place is like dropping a ball at the top of a slope and expecting it to stay. There’s a reason most lottery…

Don’t confuse the fact that I can’t afford to waste my limited income on “uncomfortable conversation avoidance” services from the IRS with being loaded.

“Yeah, they should be smart and just commit tax evasion, I guess...?”

“Tax refunds are a crucial source of cash for many Americans, especially those who are low income.”

“Sorry some of us are getting pretty sick of politicians that think promising us crumbs and delivering nothing is acceptable.”

“This country is producing wealth at a higher rate than it ever has before.”

Pragmatic solution?

What about a third solution? OASDI is an insurance program. Let people decide what level of coverage they want including none. The ability to opt out disconnects the population that wants a more robust OASDI program from the people that don’t.